Requiem of the Goddess--Part 1
by BlondeWiccan
Summary: This is taken straight from the DLC "Requiem of the Goddess: Lightning's Story", with a twist. I've added her emotions and thoughts that I believe she would be experiencing during the fight. This is only the part before the player can start battling Caius-please give me feedback on this story. If people enjoy it, I'll continue it.


_My last thought was a question. Would my endless prayer ever reach you? Serah…can I ever make things right?_

Again, she faced the immortal man. The reason why her fate was sealed. Again, he stood before her and mocked her hope, her reason for continuing. Again, he laughed at her resilience and determination to stop him and make the world a better place.

Her faith was beginning to waver…fighting endlessly, the same battle over and over, with the sure fear of not winning this battle. She was not immortal, as he was. Her time was limited, a human. A guardian, yet completely human. He was the embodiment of Chaos, one that would reign supreme for as long as man lived. There was an advantage she had over him—hope. Hope is what drove her to swing the blade, to stand back up when she fell, to summon Odin. For that battle cry to always mean something—to live.

Her hope, her reason for living, was Serah. But how much longer would she live? Etro was not answering any of her prayers, and she has seen Serah start to whittle away after seeing so much death and destruction. It was so much more than she could bear…but she would grit her teeth and swallow that fear, fight for as long as was needed.

Her attention returned to the man before her, mocking her once again. _"All potentials and possibilities will collapse. Time will end, and the future will fade." _Again, so sure, so cocky. It caused a look of disgust to strike her before growling. "You'll have to kill me first!" And so she attacked. Jumped and dived. Their swords clashed and rang before he pushed her away. She followed the push by a Ruinga that was deflected. "Tch." '_Again!' _She charged, pushing through the doubt and wonder. He came and jabbed near her face. She dodged (just barely), side-stepped, and struck back, attempting to push back his blade. He swung horizontally, she ducked and swung at his feet. He jumped, hanging in mid-air. '_Now's my chance!' _Putting her hand to her chest for a few seconds, she summoned the lightning to her fingers, the familiar crackling sensation filling her with strength. She needed not say the word, only thrust her hand out, summoning Thundara. '_It hit!' _He regained quickly, which caused another growl. "Cauis Ballad!" His blade drawn, ready to attack, she met him half-way, striking with full force. Her face full of emotion, determination, love, hope, anger. His only a smirk, knowing he had the upper hand. _'What's that damned smile for?' _Suddenly, only darkness. Her blade held still in the air, her eyes widened in confusion. "Nnh?" Darkness was left in his wake. The darkness then moved, starting to form. A figure formed before her eyes, her blade pointed at the chest. "What the…?" _'S-Serah…?_' How could she be here? It didn't make sense. '_Oh Etro no…_' Serah's eyes glowed. Time seemed to stop. "Serah!" The warrior knew what would happen after so many visions from her little sister. Suddenly, Etro showed her.

_Serah was with Noel, smiling…happy. Suddenly a vision…and she fell back. "Serah!" Noel had cried out, terrified of the sight. "Serah, snap out of it. No!" He knew what this meant, it was all too real. He grabbed her hand, pulling her forward and to his chest, letting out a sob. She was dead before he grabbed her hand. _

Lightning looked up, fear and distraught filling her. _'I failed…I tried…I DID EVERYTHING. How could I…Why…?' _The warrior walked..no, stumbled towards her fallen sister.She was transparent…could it only be a trick from Caius? '_Caius!'_ She'd nearly forgotten about her opponent, and suddenly felt a presence behind her. Lifting her blade at the last second, she managed to block, but his attack was too strong at her weakened state. "Ugh!" Flying across the battlefield, she landed and rolled, groaning softly. She didn't care though—didn't care about her wounds, didn't even care about the man sneering from across the stage. _'Serah…'_ She looked up, still seeing her 'sister'. Her body wasn't cooperating. _'Come on…_' She reached out her hand, as if that would actually help. '_No…come on…_' Her vision blurred, her arms giving out. _'Save..I have…to…_' She let out an exasperated grunt, blacking out in the same instant. The chaotic man sauntered over, past the darkness that was Serah, and smirked. _"Too easy." _Raising his blade, he was ready to strike the fallen soldier, until something occurred. Darkness sprinkled with light enveloped the pink-haired warrior, slowly bringing her down and through the concrete. "_Hmph."_ It seemed Etro had not forsaken her warrior…quite yet. She was still of use.

"_Lightning is dead. I killed her with my own hands."_

Hours later, Lightning awoke, blade still in hand. "Nn…" She took a slow, deep breath, wincing at the pain in her chest and head. Slowly she opened her eyes, twitching her hands instinctively towards her blade. Grabbing it, she used it as support, raising her head slowly. She grunted softly, trying to straighten out her vision and clear her mind from the pain. After a few moments she looked up, gasping at the sight before her.

Serah was in front of Etro's throne, hovering above, with wisps of darkness wrapping around her. Lightning's eyes widened, fear of the worst. She stood, immediately all thoughts and feelings wiped. She staggered towards her fallen sister, hoping, praying that she still lived. Darkness once again shrouded itself before her. _'God damn it…_' She thought with an annoyed look on her face. Automatically thinking it was Caius, she looked up in surprise when she heard a woman's voice.

"_You sister—she is the same as us."_

"_And so she is with us. Always with us."_

"_Until time is destroyed, she will sleep with us."_

The darkness came from one end, then another. Light was so confused, she didn't even raise her blade. What was this being that spoke of her sister? She couldn't be a seeress…but she knew. Deep down, she knew it all along. Serah's arms rose above her head.

"_When the world ends, she will end with us."_

She'd heard enough. "Let her go!" Pointing her blade at the darkness, she wondered briefly, '_why am I demanding this? To let this being that I don't even know to go?' _Suddenly, dark bold tears stained her younger sister's cheeks, and it frightened her more than anything. '_What in the hell is that?!' _Her blade lowered in sheer surprise.

"_She will melt into darkness. As we all will."_

Again, her blade rose.

"_Yes, you will share her fate."_

The environment started to shake, but the warrior didn't waver. Giggling, maniac, crazed giggling filled the air. Fearing for her sister, she called out to her. "Serah!" A deafening sound, and a summon above called the immortal down. _'Just fucking great.' "Let's end this." _Caius raised his blade, the eye in his weapon shining bright. She knew now what she had to do. "I won't let you have her!" Determination and love again filled her heart, but for a different reason. The hope to be back home with Serah, with Snow, with NORA. The sound of her laughter pushed the courage forward, not yet wanting to believe that her sister was gone. Her blade pointed, poised above the immortal's heart, she was sure of her goal.

_Was this battle a dream? Or was it reality? Would a victory here even help to set you free? I didn't know what would happen, and when the end finally came...I had none of the answers I needed. But I had no choice-all I could do was fight. Only one thing was certain. This was the war that would decide the future. _


End file.
